Six Moments
by Muggle Jane
Summary: A collection of unrelated one-shots; features Hermione/Luna, Sirius/Narcissa, Bill/Fleur, Ginny/Colin, Katie/Lee, Cedric/Hermione
1. House of Gold

**Disclaimer of not owning canon characters. Written for the Shipping Shuffle Competition  
**

**Pairing: Hermione/Luna**

**Song: House of Gold by Twenty One Pilots**

I was always there for her. When she needed an ear, when she needed a shoulder, when she needed a safe place to stay, I was always there. I never asked the questions I already knew the answer to, the questions she didn't want to answer. Instead I would hold her and cast the healing spells, and tuck her into the bed in my spare room with a cup of tea.

And so, when she knocked on my door at three in the morning, I let her in without question. I didn't comment on her split lip, on her black eye, on the funny angle that her arm was hanging from her body. I led her gently into my living room and cast the spells I knew from my work as a Healer, and pressed her down on my sofa, tucking her in with a soft and faded quilt.

Some people would have thought she'd be the last witch to end up in this situation, but I knew better. She was so eager to prove how strong she was, how tough she was, that the first time it had happened, she'd stayed to prove that she could put a stop to it. And as it got worse and worse and he took more and more from her, she stayed because she didn't want to admit to the world that she'd made a bad decision, that she couldn't help herself.

I took a steaming cup of tea, infused with herbs, and knelt on the floor beside her face. Her eyes were swollen from crying now, and I tucked a brown curl behind her ear. "Have some tea," I told her gently.

She sat up, pale and drawn against my yellow sofa, and cradled the tea cup in her hands. "You always take care of me," she said.

"Of course I do." I rested my cheek on her quilt-covered knee, I felt her stroke my hair. Caring for me helped her feel in control, helped her feel better.

"I can't go back." I could hear the quiet determination in her voice. This was the first time she said it, and she wholeheartedly meant it.

"I don't want you to."

"They're going to talk."

"They always talk." I smiled and reached up to take her hand, lacing her fingers in mine. "I don't mind."

"I'm not ready to..."

"I know. I've waited for you this long, Hermione, I can keep waiting."

"He's going to come here."

"He'll have to find here, first." The path to my house was a maze. I've always liked mazes, I'd been quite fascinated by the one they'd used in the Triwizard Tournament. When I'd rebuilt my home after the war, I'd built it in the middle of a maze that took up the entire property. It was beautiful. "I made you something. Would you like to see it?"

"Yes." She sounded uncertain, scared almost. He'd damaged her, but she wasn't broken. I wouldn't let him break her.

"You'll like it." I stood and pulled gently on her hand until she was standing too. I led her through the house to what had formerly been the spare bedroom. I pushed open the door and pulled her inside.

She stared around her, tears falling from her eyes. Shelves of books lined the walls from floor to ceiling. "How did you know?"

"Because I love you, of course." I pulled her to me and rested her head on my shoulder, holding her close. "You always talked about having a library. You'll feel more like yourself if you have one." She clung to me tightly, unable to say anything. I knew what she meant, and I kissed the top of her head. "I'll wait as long as you need me to."


	2. Madness

**Pairing: Sirius/Narcissa**

**Song: Madness by Muse**

"What do you want?" he demanded, leaning his forearm against the partially open door, blocking her from seeing inside.

"I want..." She licked her lips and squared her shoulders. "I want to come in." When he merely raised an eyebrow. "Come on, Sirius, we got on when we were children."

"If by 'got on,' you mean you weren't _quite_ as horrid to me as your charming sister was, then yes. We got on." He remained where he was, but she could see the curiosity in his eyes. At last, he stepped aside. "Might as well come in."

She moved past him, her eyes moving about to take in the small foyer. "You've done quite well for yourself." She turned to face him, unable to keep the surprise out of her voice.

"Yes, Uncle Alphard was very generous." He closed the door and lounged back against it, arms folded in front of him. "You're in. What do you want, Narcissa?"

She licked her lips again, nervous. He'd grown since the last time she'd seen him. He was a man now, quite tall. His shoulders had broadened, his chest had filled out. He even managed to make those ridiculous Muggle denim trousers look good. "I just missed you."

"You haven't seen me in three years, and you suddenly miss me?" His eyebrow rose, faintly mocking. He may not have wanted to be a part of the Black family anymore, but he certainly had the mannerisms down. "This wouldn't have anything to do with your upcoming nuptials, would it?"

She flinched, staring at him. "How did you know about that?"

He smirked. "I don't live under a rock, dear cousin. The joining of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black to the Malfoys? I don't believe there's anyone in the northern hemisphere who _hasn't_ heard about it."

She lifted her chin defiantly and stared back at him, trained since childhood not to give anything away.

He seemed to see straight through her, though. "Cold feet? I would have thought you'd be overjoyed to suddenly be the wealthiest witch in Britain."

Narcissa sighed and looked away. Her eyes found the carved hat stand that stood just beside the door, and she studied it without really seeing it. "I'm not certain that this is what I want."

"Worried you won't be able to manipulate him? I'd have thought you'd had enough practice with me." There was a note of pained anger in his voice.

"I'm... Sorry."

He languidly waved away her apology, the motion drawing her gaze back to him. "What do you want? The hour is late, dear cousin."

She hesitated a moment before stepping towards him. "You ran away. You escaped. You're not a part of... that anymore." She was a tall woman, but he was taller still. She stopped, close enough that her fur-trimmed cloak brushed against him, and looked up. "What if I want you to take me away? Help me escape?" She opened the front of her cloak to reveal the almost indecently low-cut gown she wore underneath. She knew she was beautiful, the Black legacy.

This close, she could see the muscle working in his jaw. "You can't use those pretty tits to manipulate me anymore," he murmured, but she could tell from the way his pupils dilated that he wasn't entirely unaffected.

"You always tried to get a look at me when I was getting out of the bath." Her voice was low, husky, full of promise.

"I was a child. You're my cousin."

"Your parents were cousins." She licked her lips again, and she could see his gray eyes follow the path of her tongue. "Help me, Sirius. I'll give you whatever you want."

His hands came out and closed over her upper arms. Time slowed to a stop as he stared down into her face.

"Sirius? Where are you, mate?" A voice called his attention from another room, and the spell was broken.

He swore under his breath, looking over the top of her head to the flight of stairs behind her. "Stay there, James, I'll be up in half a moment." His eyes flicked back to hers. "You've got to go," he breathed.

"Will you help me?" she whispered back.

"What's going on down there?" came the amused call from above.

"Private moment, James. The sooner you shut up, the sooner I'll be done." He didn't bother to keep the irritation out of his voice.

Laughter floated down the stairs. "My apologies, to your lady as well."

"I'll owl you tonight, all right?" He was earnest, and she nodded. She only hoped he wasn't too late.

She let her lips graze along his jaw as she reached for the door handle. "Please hurry," she urged him, and then she was back outside in the rain.


	3. Let It Be

**Pairing: Bill/Fleur**

**Song: Let It Be by The Beatles**

It was raining the day of Fred's funeral. That seemed fitting somehow, like the sky itself was mourning the loss of one of the brightest spots of all of wizarding Britain.

The family had gathered closely around the grave, looking down at the lurid green coffin. George had insisted, and no one had the heart to deny him. And then, when the green disappeared under wet clods of mud, the family had gone to The Burrow. There was a place set for him at the table that night, and everyone toasted his memory. The family sat together for most of the day, with stories and tears and memories, until at last Mrs Weasley fell asleep with her hand clutched around Fred's childhood teddy bear. Everyone went home then, promising to see each other soon.

Fleur Apparated home to Shell Cottage with her husband. He pulled away from her, and went up the path through the small garden to the house. He left the door open, but he went in without her.

She followed, it didn't take too long to find him in the kitchen, staring out over the ocean far below. She wrapped her arms around him from behind, resting her head against his back. "You do not need to be strong for me."

He didn't answer.

He was the eldest of the Weasley children. All day long, she'd watched his siblings turn to him for support, and he'd been there with a gentle smile and a warm hug, ready to comfort and share, taking their burdens onto his sturdy shoulders until he threatened to collapse beneath them. And still he'd carried on.

She held him for a moment, pressed against him, silently urging him to take comfort from her as he stood there, his hands in fists at his sides. She was just about to slip away and leave him to brood when one of his hands closed over hers. He didn't speak, just held her hands in his, and so she stayed.

The sky grew darker and darker until it was impossible to see anything except their reflections in the thick glass of the window. He took one of her hands in his and lifted it to his lips.

"You can not keep being strong for them unless you let someone be strong for you," she told him quietly.

He nodded, his eyes closing. She felt something wet fall against the hand that was still pressed to his lips. They were still damp from the rain outside, their clothes not having had a chance to dry when they were pressed against one another. She took out her wand and dried them both, and then summoned over two glasses filled with Fred's favorite firewhiskey. He turned towards her, and they drank together.

"Come to bed. You will see him again in time."

They left their empty glasses on the counter and went upstairs to lie in each other's arms.


	4. Poker Face

**Pairing: Ginny/Colin**

**Song: Poker Face by Lady Gaga**

Ginny was headed out of the Holyhead Harpies' locker room after the game. They'd won against the woefully unprepared Chudley Cannons in fifteen minutes. The girls were all planning to meet up at the pub that night to celebrate. Ginny, however, wanted to do some celebrating of her own first.

The flash of a camera momentarily blinded her. She stood for a moment with her hand in front of her eyes, blinking rapidly. "I hate it when you do that."

He grinned unapologetically. "I know. But you look so good when you're fresh out of the shower, extra bouncy from having won the match."

"Bouncy?" She scowled at him. "I'm not bouncy."

"Of course you are." He reached up behind her and gave her ponytail a gentle tug. "I'm a bit of an expert, aren't I?"

She stared at him for a moment, and then she started laughing. He joined in. "I guess you are at that."

Colin Creevey had calmed down a lot since Hogwarts. The run-in with the basilisk, and then almost dying at the last battle of the war... No, now he was a reasonably even-tempered wizard instead of a wriggling puppy.

"Congratulations on the win."

She scoffed. "Hardly worth it. I kept wanting to ask them why they even bothered showing up today."

He caught her hand and pulled her flush against him. He'd never really had a large growth spurt, he was just an inch or two taller than she was. It was nice to be able to look in his eyes without craning her head back. Not that she would tell him that.

"We're in public!" she protested half-heartedly. She didn't really mean it, and he knew it. She draped her arms over his shoulders, clasping her hands behind the back of his neck.

He kissed her, his lips meeting hers, and he urged her back until she bumped against the wall.

She could hear some of her teammates coming down the hall that led to their locker room, and when someone whistled at her, the two broke apart, grinning.

"Your boyfriend coming for drinks tonight, Gin?"

"He's not my..." She caught his eye, and she could feel the heat in her face as her cheeks flushed, and she bit her lip to keep from finishing the sentence.

"If we can still walk, we'll be there," Colin assured them without looking away from Ginny.

The other Harpies left, laughing.

He didn't seem to mind that she didn't call him her boyfriend. After everything that had happened with Harry, she was a little afraid of letting him know exactly how she felt about him. They'd been seeing each other for a couple of months, and she kept trying to tell herself that they were just having fun, that she _wasn't_ falling for him.

He kissed the tip of her nose. "Let's get out of here."

She nodded, Disapparating them with a soft pop.


	5. Even If It Breaks Your Heart

**Pairing: Katie/Lee**

**Song: "Even If It Breaks Your Heart" by Eli Young Band**

We'd all gone out for a drink that night. George, Angelina, Alicia, Lee, and I took over a table at a pub. We played several rounds of, "Do you remember the time...?" and spent some time talking Quidditch, and then George and Lee entertained us with what happened with some of the product tests from George's shop.

Angelina and George left first. They weren't dating, of course, because if they admitted to dating, his mum would be on them to get married and start making a whole pack of little Weasley babies. But for two people who weren't dating, they sure spent a lot of time joined at the lips. It was cute.

Alicia left next. She had to work in the morning, which begged the question of why she'd come out with us in the first place. She worked at Quality Quidditch Supplies in Diagon Alley, and usually wound up working weekends.

I was still feeling a little restless, though; I've always been a bit of a night owl. I drained my last beer and set the empty glass on the table, contemplating it.

"You off too?" Lee asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Me? No. I'm not tired yet."

"Come and get some fresh air. That usually works for me." He pushed his chair back and stood. "All right?"

"Yeah, all right." I stood as well, and followed him out of the pub. It was dark outside, of course, and the stars were shining far above us. He offered me his arm and I hesitated for just a moment.

"Do you trust me?" he asked with a grin, and I had to smile.

"Of course." I took his arm and let him Disapparate me somewhere.

It was a small shelter. I would have said it was a shack, but one of the walls and part of the roof were just missing. There were two chairs and a table that, even in the light from the not-quite-full moon, I could tell had seen better days.

"Where are we?"

"Middle of nowhere, really. We did a Potterwatch broadcast from here once."

"Potterwatch. You know, I checked the radio several times each day to see if I could tune in." I shook my head. "That seems like so long ago."

"It does." He waved his wand and a rough blanket appeared on the ground against one of the outside walls. "I wouldn't go in there, I don't know how safe it is."

I sat down, leaned up against the wall, my legs outstretched in front of me. He sat beside me, staring up at the stars. After just a short time, he said, "You know, I have some good news that I didn't mention earlier because it's not quite official..."

"What's that?"

"I'm finally starting my own station on the wizarding wireless. We go live next month."

I looked over at him, and he was trying not to look too proud. "That's amazing, Lee! Congratulations!"

"Thanks!" He looked over to grin at me. "I'm excited about it. One of my sponsors is Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, of course."

"That's incredible! I'm really happy for you."

"Thanks," he said again. "So, what about you?"

"What about me, what?"

"You planning on working at the Ministry forever? Seems a bit... You know, boring."

I sighed. "Not really, no. I don't know, though."

"So...?" he prompted, nudging me gently with his elbow.

"You're going to think it's silly."

"Katie, I know silly. I help invent silly. I don't think that whatever you're going to say is going to qualify."

I sighed. "You have to promise you won't laugh."

"Of course."

"I want to start my own Quidditch magazine." I studied the toes of my trainers rather intently.

He didn't laugh. He just looked at me for a moment, then shrugged. "So do it."

"I... What?" His matter-of-fact tone made me look over at him, and he had a completely serious look on his face.

"Do it. I don't mean, run off right now and buy a press and just start printing, I mean... Plan it out. What do you need to make this happen?"

"I... don't know. I haven't spent a lot of time thinking about the starting up part." Or any time, really. It was just a far-off dream I'd had since I was a child, something I'd never really thought was attainable. Working at the Ministry, though, was sucking away my soul day after day, and it really was looking more and more appealing. "Most of my thinking has been about how cool it would be to actually get it going."

"Look. If this is something you're really serious about actually doing, I'll sit down with you and help you figure it out. It's a lot, but when you actually break it down into what needs to be done, it's not so bad."

"You mean it?"

"Absolutely." His arm came around my shoulders, pulling me against him. "I'm pretty good at that sort of thing."

"I've heard." I leaned my head against his shoulder. "Thanks, Lee." I ended up not moving away, and neither did he. We sat there together for a long time, just looking up at the stars. And when I got a little chilly, he conjured up a second blanket and helped me shift over so I could sit between his outstretched legs and lean back against him, the blanket covering both of us.


	6. Ain't Gonna Lose You

**Pairing: Cedric/Hermione**

**Song: Ain't Gonna Lose You by Brett Dennen**

She sat staring at the long-cold cup of tea sitting in front of her. She knew it was too good to last. They'd finally had _the_ argument. The inevitable argument she always ended up having with every man she tried to date. And, like all the others, he'd left.

The words were always different, but the argument itself was always the same. She was too stubborn, too bossy, just too everything that witches weren't supposed to be. First had been Ron, of course, then Terry, then Ernie. And now Cedric.

She leaned down to stroke the furry body that was winding itself between her ankles. "Looks like it's just you and me again, Crooks. I'm beginning to think this whole relationship business is more trouble than it's worth."

She stood up and carried the tea to the sink, then dumped it down the drain and placed the lonely teacup in the center of the sink by itself. Usually she cleaned up her dishes as she dirtied them, but she left the teacup where it was.

The door downstairs opened and she frowned, grabbing her wand from the table and heading towards the footsteps that were rushing up her stairs. "Cedric?"

He came towards her, holding something in his hands. She couldn't quite focus on what it was, instead her eyes were searching his face. "You can't chase me off that easily."

"But-"

He cut her off quickly. "No. You said your piece, now it's time for you to hear mine. I know you're scared of letting someone love you."

She opened her mouth to say something, but he shook his head and rushed on.

"You think you're not worthy. You think you're not the type of witch a wizard would want. You're wrong, Hermione Granger. I'm not going to let you chase me off."

She had to look away from the fierce determination in his gray eyes, she had no idea how to answer his torrent of words. He wasn't wrong, not exactly, but she wasn't ready to say that out loud. Instead she focused on the thing he was holding. "Is that... A kitten?"

Two wide blue eyes stared up at her, a little pink nose sniffing the air. It looked young, just a few months old, and it was watching her with the curious intelligence of a part-Kneazle.

"Yes, this is a kitten. Her name is Mittens."

"Mittens?" she echoed incredulously.

"Mittens," he repeated firmly. "I wanted to show you that I'm serious about us, and I'm not going to scare off easily."

"So you got me a kitten?"

"I got _us_ a kitten."

She stared at the little gray bundle of fur for a moment, and then she started laughing. "You couldn't get me flowers?"

"You don't like flowers. Besides, something that's going to wilt and die in a few days doesn't really speak of being serious about a relationship."

"You listened to all of that?"

"Of course I did." He leaned down towards her and brushed his lips gently against hers.

She leaned her forehead against his. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Don't try to chase me away again, all right?"

She was flushing a little as she nodded. "But we can't call her Mittens."

"We have to. She already knows her name." He gave her that smile that said he'd already made up his mind and he was just waiting for her to come around to his way of thinking.

They fell asleep together that night, wrapped in the duvet on the sofa, the two part-Kneazles cuddled together at their feet.


End file.
